South Korea – Page 3 – GW Blogs from Abroad

한국 Week 6

AdminApril 20, 2015December 14, 2018

안녕하세요 (Hello)! Week 6 in Korea was full of surprises. First of all, my boyfriend, Jacob, decided to use the money he has been saving to come and visit me in Seoul! Secondly, Sabrina, Jesse, and I had our first exam at Korea University. Thirdly, membership training round 2!

Jacob came on Tuesday, March 24, and is visiting for two weeks! I am so happy because we are essentially reliving all the touristy fun of Seoul for the second time around! He is staying at Crimson House, where Mike and John live, and the price is about 25,000W a night. This turned out to be a better deal than the hostel in Anam, Anam Hostel, which was 24,000W a night. The room in the hostel was the size of a closet and the room in Crimson, also the size of a closet, but definitely more suitable for living. The first thing we did when he came to Korea was take him to have Korean BBQ. Watching Jacob use chopsticks without struggle reminded me of my initial struggle. The rule with chopsticks here in Korea is that you cannot cross them because then they just don’t pick up food efficiently. The second rule with chopsticks is that you do not stick them into the rice and leave them there. This second rule reminds Korean people of the incense sticks that people use at funerals. Instead you place the chopsticks neatly across your bowl when done. Another custom, on the topic of Korean customs, is that when referring to an older Korean boy from a younger girl standpoint you call them “Opa,” and from the standpoint of a younger boy to an older girl you say “Nuna.” Older boys like to be called “Opa” and older girls like to be called “Nuna.” My language exchange buddy told me this and thus, since I am 5 months older than Jacob, he must now call me “Nuna.”

On Jake’s second day in Korea, after my exam, we went to Insadong and tried squid on a pan with Mike and John. Afterwards, we got street food, Hotteok. Jake really took a liking to the food, and he and I have been going to various street markets from there on out trying weird, new foods. We went to Dwangjang market, Insadong, and Myeondong. Throughout our trek through Korean food markets, we tried dumplings, fried fish, dried fish, Soju, Makkoli, fruit juice mystery meat on a stick, squid on a stick, waffles, crepes, and honey ice cream. A Korean man next to us smiled and approved when he saw that we were enjoying Soju with our meal. Within that three day period with Jacob, I probably tried all of the street food in Korea and I am proud of it. If my sister Yanina was here with me I know that she would appreciate doing this as well. Those three days in Korea reminded me of my trips to New York to visit her, when we would just try new foods. Since I go to school Monday to Thursday, Jake does a lot of his own exploring and homework during the day.

Let me turn now to the topic of school. Sabrina, Jesse, and I had our first exam at Korea University. The exam was for Electronic Circuits and the class average was a 67.5%. My goal for school was to do better than at least half of the Korean students, and so far, I can say mission accomplished. My most boring class is Signals and Systems. The homework load here has been big for the biomedical engineers, but we finally have a week off. This is already too much about school, so I shall switch my topic to something more fun: Membership Training round 2!

I made up my mind and decided to take Jacob to experience membership training with Mike and Alissa’s KUBA group. John, Mike, Jesse, Alissa, Jake, Jesper our friend from Denmark, and I had planned to go to at least one membership training together. This membership training took place close to the university and was only a thirty-minute, bumpy bus ride away. The house was a one-story house, near a small creek. The floors were not heated like my Group 5 membership training. The night consisted of Korean BBQ, Soju and Karaoke. Alissa, Jesse, Jake, and I came later than Jesper, John, and Mike, yet we did not miss any of the festivities. We ate BBQ then went right into teaching the Koreans beer pong. At first it was easy to make a mistake, but eventually they became better players than I am. The night got even better from there. We played many games of Charades and Karaoked until we could not sing another word.

Other fun things, I did this week included making a mug with Alissa and Michael’s KUBA buddies, Jay and HwiiHwa. My name (Sasha) is spelled like this in Korean 사샤. Apparently, I spelled my name wrong on my mug and wrote what sounds like SaSa, but a week later, Michael, who has been taking Korean here in Korea, corrected me. Now I know. Anyways.. 안녕 (Goodbye)!!!

Membership Training

AdminApril 14, 2015

Annyeonghaseyo (Hello)! Seoul, South Korea week 4! My mood is fantastic. The study abroad chart shown at orientation does not seem to apply to me. I am constantly happy and my program just keeps getting better! Shout out to my sister Yanina, so far the only Kim I know is Kimchi. I shall start off with a random story of week 4 study abroad.

About two weeks ago, my friends Jesse, Ernest, John and I decided that it would be fun to travel to a random metro stop and just explore what was around the area. We managed to get off at a stop called Seokgye, about three blocks away from our regular Anam stop. As it was around 9pm and we were all hungry, we agreed on a late dinner. We managed to walk one block up from the metro station, when John stopped to look inside of a restaurant shop. As soon as he took longer than 5 seconds, a spry Korean woman pulled him inside and, thus, we were compelled to dine there. Once inside we were seated in the corner near a party of rowdy Korean working class men who had no problem taking shots of Soju on a Monday night. We suddenly realized that there was no English menu.

The consensus was to ask the Korean woman who let us in to order for us. The challenge was telling the woman that we were hungry and wanted food not alcohol. It took us 5 minutes to explain to her that we only came in for dinner. It quickly became the best decision ever. Once she understood she picked out two dishes from the menu based on her own tastes. She choose this giant honey mustard omelet and boiling hot noodle clam stew. Both were way too delicious and so random, that all of us were happy she ordered for us.Another interesting learning experience so far has been teaching one of my KUBA buddies English through a language exchange program offered here. I signed up for the program on the first day of orientation in the hopes of also being able to pick up some Korean. My exchange buddy and I sat next to each other during a group 5 lunch. We talked about everything from K-pop to our favorite color. Although, I only learned how to say "you're welcome," we ended up becoming good friends. I hope to be able to hold a simple Korean conversation after these next couple of weeks.

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to party in the number 9 club in the world, Octagon. It was not shaped like an octagon, nor was it the best club I have ever been to. However, I had a good time. My roommate Alissa and I kept being pulled to tables by Koreans to party with them and were even invited to the VIP room. As fun as it was to come home early in the morning, that was not the highlight of that weekend. The very next day I joined my KUBA group on a typical KUBA event called membership training. Membership training is where many school clubs, companies, and friend and family groups go to stay in a house for a night to drink and bond with those around them. The house my group stayed at was 5 hours away and was located in the middle of the mountains outside of Seoul. My friend Sabrina and I came at 6pm and were immediately served Korean BBQ. People had arrived earlier and already started drinking. When we got into the house, I noticed that there was no furniture and the floor was heated. The experience that followed can only be described as an organized Korean version of a house party. Throughout the night, I had a chance to experience Korean games and bond with my KUBA buddies as well as the other international students. Definitely an experience I will not forget. For now until next time! Annyeoungkyeseyo (Goodbye)!

The Seoul Groove

AdminMarch 31, 2015

KUBA buddy learning how to make dressing

Annyeonghaseyo (Hello)! Week 3 and I am already starting to feel like a local. Sure my Korean speaking skills are still nonexistent and I blatantly stand out of the crowd, but I have made some excellent friends here. The lady at the convenience store I frequently visit has now started to say hello to me.

The workload has increased for my major specific courses so I now find myself going to school and then hanging out for three hours after and then doing homework into the night. My friends and I have been going out to many dinner places around Anam. One of my favorite places is this authentic Korean restaurant where there is no English menu. It is right next to the Hana Square campus and their Kimchee is delicious and comes in big servings. Thus far, my favorite foods here have been octopus on a stick, pickled kimchee radishes, and family style Korean BBQ. Every meal you eat here is essentially family style. The dishes are big and you can get two dishes for a table of 6 people. The price for these dishes is cheap too and comes out to 10,000 won ($9) a person and at minimum 3,000 won ($2.50) a person.

This past weekend I joined my roommate Alissa at Korean church. Never having gone to a church this would have been an interesting experience for me even if I wasn’t in Korea. The church is located in the shopping district of Myeongdong and holds mass in English. The priest there was from Ireland. When we walked in there were maybe 50 rows of pews and beautiful stain glass windows going down the sides. We sat near the front left, next to Korean women who attended mass in lacey white head covers. The service went on fully in English and it was very interesting to see the native Korean speakers get into the English versions of the Bible. The only noticeably Korean part of the church, other than the people, was one painting on the wall of Korean religious scholars. It was very interesting to see this type of depiction.

On the topic of religion, this past Saturday I went to the Seoul Buddhism Expo with my KUBA group. The metro ride took 40 minutes and we had to stand the whole way but when we arrived it was worth it. The first area my KUBA buddy and I went to was the traditional Buddhist food section. There we were taught how to make traditional dressing and then how to grind up soy beans for tofu. There were also many Buddhist monks there. Men and women had their heads shaved and wore long gray robes. Everyone was friendly and it was interesting to see them. After this, we went on to make lotus flowers out of long straws and crinkly paper. It was quiet the ordeal and a Korean woman who ran the craft stand would constantly watch over us international students. After the Buddhism Expo the KUBA group went out to Korean BBQ. It was delicious as always, cooking right in front of you. The KUBA buddies at our table decided that this outing calls for Soju shots and so we started up at dinner. I am still baffled at the “work hard, play hard” attitude of the Koreans, but I must say, that I have really gotten into it.

To sum up my Korean experience so far: I am having the time of my life and I cannot wait to experience the weeks ahead! Annyeoungkyeseyo (Goodbye)!

Seoul Searching

AdminMarch 24, 2015December 14, 2018

By desansky0826

Annyeonghaseyo (Hello)! So far it is the end of two weeks here in Korea and my love for the country has grown. The first week of school went well. All of my professors speak excellent English and can demonstrate a wide array of knowledge in both English and Korean. The engineering courses here require a chapter reading a class, which is challenging due to the content, but is overall manageable. Being a girl in an engineering class in Korea leaves me in the minority. Most of my classes are 95% boys, but luckily I have my friend Sabrina from GWU here with me to attend them all. I have had no trouble making Korean friends in classes. I have mainly noticed that they won’t talk to you unless you talk to them first, but when you do talk to them they are very enthusiastic and friendly. The grades here work on an A-F system like the US. I have heard from previous students who went on this exchange program that there is no homework given in classes just midterms and finals. This turned out to be incorrect for my classes and I have to do chapter summaries, practice problems, and then midterms and finals.

Monday through Thursday I have school from 10:30am to 5pm. I usually try to go to the international student gym in CJ House at 8:45am because it is only open until 10am and then again at 6pm. It is quiet the struggle forcing myself out of bed to walk uphill to do some basic workouts, but the security guard from CJ House and I have now become friends because of this. Classes are usually an hour and fifteen minutes long, unless they are a lab course. At the end of last week we had a KUBA cheering orientation. At this orientation, the KUBA buddies took their time teaching us the cheers KU students chant at sports games. These cheers are usually aimed at the KU rival Yonsei University. They are hilarious including translations like “Yonsei gets drunk on beer” and “your mascot is a bird.” There were only 20 cheers that we learned out of the possible 100 cheers. Cheering was great but something I was not prepared for was the dancing. At least half of the cheers we were taught included fast-paced head banging and group jumping. The next day I was so sore that turning my head became an issue. At the end of this 2 hour event my new KUBA t-shirt was soaked in sweat, but it was a good time.

Additionally, this past weekend my GWU friends and I won three day club passes to go to Gangam. Yes, that is Gangam from the PSY song and it is considered the super-city part of Seoul. If I were to compare this to New York, Gangam is Manhattan and Anam, the area we live in, is Queens. We went all three days, met some fun people, and danced all night. We went to a club bar on Thursday, Club Syndrome on Friday, and then Club Eluis on Saturday. Korean clubs play typical house music in one section and then American rap music in another, such as Beyoncé or Rihanna. Dancing at these clubs was great and being able to recognize other international students there made everything even better. The clubs were about 5% international students and 95% were Korean; however this made no difference because everyone was really into having a good time. After a club we would typically go get food afterwards, and my friend John had an argument with our new French friend John Paul about America culture. The general perception of Americans from John Paul is that they are crazy, fried chicken-loving, gun owning, idiots. When I asked my KUBA buddy what Korean people thought of Americans she said that they think they are crazy, yet very friendly people. The consensus amongst others was also that Americans are crazy. This perception is not too bad and actually fits in well with the work hard play hard attitude of the Korean people. At least three times now I have seen Korean students sitting in circles in Hana Square, the science and engineering campus, taking shots of Soju after class at 5pm, which seems crazy to me.

This week the US ambassador to South Korea was razored by a political extremist against US-Korean joint military efforts. This seemed to be a big deal to CNN but to the Korean college students I asked, it seemed minor. They agreed that it was just an extremist protesting and not public thought. Currently, it is a Wednesday and I am sitting in a coffee Café called DaVinci and I had a garlic cheese sandwich. I tend to eat American food for lunch and Korean food for dinner here. The whole room is packed with Korean students getting lunch in between classes. They usually order food here family style so that everyone can share. A simple ham, egg, and cheese and coffee here in Korea is 3,500W like 3 US dollars, while in Carvings at GWU it is at least $5.50. The students are loud and happy. Shout out to my sister Yanina, I have not yet met a single Kim, but hopefully these stories satisfy what you call the DailyKim. Anyways, more adventures are still to come next week! Annyeoungkyeseyo (Goodbye)!

Hello Korea? This is Sasha!

AdminMarch 17, 2015

view from lotte market — View from Lotte market

Annyeonghaseyo (Hello)! My first week in South Korea has drawn to a close and I love Seoul. Seoul is efficient, clean, English-friendly, and modern. As I stepped off of the tiring 14 and a half hour plane ride from DC, I was greeted by my three friends from GWU, Mike, John, and Alissa, who flew in from New York. We walked through immigration and were instantly greeted by KUBA buddies. Since we attend Korea University, KUBA is a student run organization that stands for Korea University Buddy Assistant. They took us to a waiting area where we got our first whiff of Korean air. The bus ride to campus took about an hour, and after not sleeping for a day, my roommate Alissa and I fell asleep as soon as we got to Anam Global House, our dorm.

The next morning we woke up at 3:40 in the morning and could do nothing but wait for a socially acceptable time to actually be awake. We had no Wi-Fi here for about 5 days. That day we met up with Ernest, another GWU friend, and Mike and John at their faraway dorm called Crimson House and went to this amazing place called Gwangjang market. There we wandered through small stands of various Korean cuisine and had giant fish cakes for only 2$. We continued our wandering through a Korean Museum and mall. The malls here have no hallways. You literally walk from one store to the other in a matter of a step. The metro is clean, always on time, and made in a way as to ensure the safety of its users in every way possible. On the metro, I noticed my first cultural difference. There is no notion in Korean of “excuse me” so people essentially just push past you if you block their way. I guess the only real danger on the metro train is the occasional small Korean grandma elbowing you in the stomach as she decides to walk by.

me in front of ku — In front of Korea University (KU)

On day two we had an international student orientation with our KUBA buddies. I was placed in group 5 with another GWU friend, Sabrina. My KUBA buddy’s name is Sinhye. What I found to be difficult in Korea was remembering the names of all of the Korean people I was meeting. They had no issue remembering my name but I had an issue with theirs. My buddy’s name was pronounced as “She-Ney.” She is rather tall for a Korean girl around 5’7 and is a philosophy major. Today, I actually found out that she was in my philosophy class and she sat next to me. I also met some Australians, Swedes, Chinese, Canadians, and other Americans. Later that night we truly explored Seoul and the area’s bar scene. Drinking is legal here from the age of 19 and my GWU friends and I tasted some of the alcohol we wouldn’t be able to try in the states.

Day three consisted of orientation round two and setting up our student card. Essentially all of us sat in a room for an hour and signed our name 17 times to random things. Nobody really knew what we were signing since we don’t know Korean, but I have faith in the KUBA buddies. Something that shocked me was how prominent the drinking culture here is. On the orientation pamphlet it said “Introduction to Soju” after “Fried Chicken and Beer.” Soju is the hard liquor of Korea. It is 17% alcohol and cheaper than some bottled water. The area KU is located is called Anam and the street that runs through Anam is packed with bars, restaurants, gaming rooms, karaoke bars, and shopping. Literally everything one needs can be found there. So for orientation that night we went out with our KUBA buddies around Anam and learned a multitude of drinking games. Korean drinking games use numbers and rhythm so it is very easy to mess up. I ended up coming back to the room after 5 hours around 11pm but the KUBA buddies just kept going. Day four was a rest day after a night out. My friends and I went to explore Seoul Forrest. Seoul Forrest is so interesting in that it sounds so large and prominent but it had high rise building popping out of it.

Day five was the last day of orientation and we went out to the King’s Palace. It was a cold day but the scenery was terrific. We also saw the president’s house. Park Geun-hye is the first woman president of South Korea and has been in power since 2013. When I asked one KUBA buddy what he thought of her he said that he disagrees with her welfare policy. My bus group got to see a Korean cooking show and the we went to a market place where we sat on the floor and ate many little plates of food. The food in Korea is very meat and vegetable based. Kimchi, fermented cabbage, is served with literally everything. The meat here is delicious. Bolgogi lives up to its grandeur. The red sauce is on almost all foods. The food is spicy but not everything is spicy. We tried this snow dessert that was good, but too healthy for us American brownie lovers. To be honest Korean food is tough to get used to for me. That was another aspect of the culture shock of how much different the food here actually was. Sometimes, I crave salad and chicken. I definitely miss cheese and having a fridge in my room to be able to keep milk in it.

On day six, I was invited to an international student’s 21^st birthday gathering. We went and ate at a restaurant and then went to a karaoke bar. My friend John and I lost our voices to Wrecking Ball. On day seven, I went to walk around Seoul with Mike John, and Alissa and we got delicious Korean BBQ. Later that night we went to the party district called Hongdae and there we went to an American club. The next day my GW friend Jesse and I went to Homeplus. In simpler terms, Homeplus is like Korean Walmart, except they have everything from groceries and electronics to Prairie dogs for sale. Later that day we went to a large section of Seoul, Myeong-Dong, in which Koreans do their clothes shopping. There were many skin care stores as well as clothing stores. The street food was so great. My dad told me to try Korean strawberries and they were fantastic, you can really tell that the US uses preservative chemicals. I also probably had my favorite food in Korea there, which was squid on a stick. It was cooked on a grill and given in a mayonaisy and soy-ish style sauce. It was excellent. Then we went to a cat café. That was an experience that I loved. Being a cat lover and having left two cats at home, it was a great feeling to have kitties all around you while we drank tea.

Today was my first day of classes. I have met so many international students that I even recognized some faces in class. The English of the professors’ is excellent. However, in Philosophy today one professor spoke entirely in Korean and only at the end did Jesse and I learn that it was so that the Koreans in that class could become more comfortable. Overall, I am looking forward to becoming a local here, even if it is not permanent. Annyeoungkyeseyo (Goodbye)!

DMZ and the Fight for Peace

AdminJune 23, 2014December 14, 2018

By heatherlgilbert

Last weekend I had the opportunity to join a group, known as the Peace Makers, on a trip to the DMZ. This volunteer group is a coalition of international students who dedicate time to peace discussion and local service activism. It was fascinating to hear the perspectives of students from around the world: Sweeden, Japan, France, Australia and more.

The experience of looking over at North Korea was surreal. So close to South Korea and yet so different. The juxtaposition of the flourishing South and the impoverished North is shocking. This border is not just the manifestation of separate governments, it also remains a reminder of the division of family and friends.

As the semester comes to an end, I am thankful for everything that I have seen and done and the wonderfully diverse people that I have met. I will conclude my blog with this last post a reminder that there is so much that can be changed in the world and that everyone can make a difference. Thank you.

Semester in Review…Forget Me Not: North Korean Refugees

AdminJune 16, 2014December 14, 2018

By heatherlgilbert

I am back in South Korea where there is a growing effort to aid North Korean refugees. Refugees have been escaping North Korea since the height of North Korea’s famine in the 1990s. In 2013, US State Department estimated that 30,000 to 50,000 North Koreans have crossed the North Korean border to China, while other non-governmental organizations estimate the number is closer to 300,000. Escaping the North, however, is only one step in their process to freedom. Once the refugees have successfully crossed the border they must adopt to their new and vastly different environments. Working with these courageous survivors is an unforgettable opportunity.

In South Korea, there are several efforts to help North Korean refugees. One of these efforts includes the development of a school for North Korean child refugees. Appropriately named, Mulmangcho, or forget me not in Korean, this school takes in children to teach and care for during their difficult transition to life in South Korea. Education is particularly important for these kids who lag behind their South Korean counterparts in their studies.

Most of the children, living and studying at the school, are orphans. The lucky ones have one parent but rarely both. Nevertheless, as the name of the school indicates, the children are not forgotten and on every Saturday, volunteers come to teach English.

Semester in Review…Angel Service

AdminJune 9, 2014December 14, 2018

By heatherlgilbert

The Angel group at Yonsei University is a community service club that helps around Seoul. It has been a great honor getting to meet other like minded individuals who make a difference in the community.

This month, the Angel group cleaned local parks by picking up trash to preserve the environment. Although pickup trash is not the most exciting task, it must be done. Not only does cleaning areas create more community beauty, but it also prevents accidental deaths of animals. Preserving the environment as a very important task that I am happy to be a part of.

The Angel group will continue the environmental service throughout the spring and show great commitment to the venerable cause. I am very grateful to have met so many wonderful people on the trip and I look forward to seeing them again.

Semester in Review…The Local Experience

AdminJune 2, 2014December 14, 2018

By heatherlgilbert

The most valuable part of my experience in Korea is my wonderful home stay family. They have taught me so much and have given me an insider look at the everyday life of a typical korean family. Last weekend again, I was able to experience the local life by volunteering with my homestay mother at their church.

The third week of every month, the church holds a community service event for the elderly in the area to gather and eat together. The church provides all the food and the venue. Volunteers are responsible for preparing and serving the food and clean up.

Working side by side with other volunteers and talking to the elderly allowed me to understand new dimensions and problems facing Korean society. With the continual modernization and growth of Seoul, the government has supported the construction of many apartment complexes. While this supplies a greater number of living areas, it also displaces many of the elderly who lived in old houses.

Listening to locals and understanding their needs gives me a greater appreciation for my circumstances.

Semester in Review… The Traveling Volunteer

AdminMay 26, 2014December 14, 2018

By heatherlgilbert

My biggest advice for finding promising community service while traveling is simple; stay alert, be aware of your surroundings and go outside your comfort zone. By following these three simple guidelines my winter break was transformed from an outside tourist glimpse into an eye opening experience.

Community service can be found anywhere doing just about anything. During my winter break, as I traveled through Asia, I spent time participating in community service efforts in Cambodia. Traveling away from tourist areas to view another lifestyle and meet locals was the most valuable part of my trip.

My first blog is dedicated to the people I met in the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake. These incredibly strong and genuine people move three times a year, each move coinciding with the lake’s changing water level. They live a third of the year on the lakeshore, a third of the year in the center of the lake and another third close to the surrounding mountains. Income comes from one source, fishing. Most of my time on the lake was spent with the local children. Starting my first day, I brought a sack of rice and lollypops. As I handed them out to the kids they folded their arms across their chest and nodded before digging into the bag of treats. I learned that this gesture means thank you. Every moment I spent on Tonle Sap is unforgettable and now it is my turn to cross my arms and nod my head. Thank you.